Four years later

Four years, one week, and two days ago.  Our departure from California.

Last Saturday, March 31st...
Me: Guess what?  Four years ago today, we left California.
Amos: I know! Should we go out to dinner? ...I guess we don't want to commemorate leaving, really.
Me: No, we don't want to commemorate leaving.

The past three years we have gone out to eat on or around April 3rd, the day we arrived in Oklahoma in 2014.

A blurry sign

We talk about what we miss about California:
-Crossroads Community Church
-In N' Out animal-style
-Luke and Danielle and the little girls
-My family
-Our friends
-Green winters
-Hills
-Mountains
-Better drivers
-Stonefire
-Fairly predictable weather
-Being comfortable in the culture
-Mountains


We talk about what has been hard in Oklahoma:
-Bad drivers
-Grey winters
-Racism in surprising contexts
-Weather that is not conducive to exercise
-Missing friends
-Feeling rootless
-Flat landscapes
-The bug house experience


We talk about what has been good in Oklahoma:
-Friends at Covenant Community Church in Yukon
-Severe weather experiences
-Not living in Oklahoma City any more ;)

-Moving to Tulsa
-New job at Ford Audio/Video
-Visits from friends and family
-Close friends at Tulsa Bible Church in Tulsa
-Lots of trees
-Hills
-Opportunities to serve at TBC
-Being closer to Amos' family
-Green summers

This year's verse comes from John 21:21-22:
When Peter saw him [John], he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus said to him, "If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

A lot has happened in the past year, not least of which is upheaval in our church.  There is uncertaintly in our personal lives, in the lives of our families, and in the life of our church.  But Jesus says, "...what is that to you?  You follow Me!"

I don't think I would have responded well if God had given me this verse back in 2014.  I probably would have found it too hard to bear.

The Lord is kind; He knows when to teach lessons.

I am not responsible for others and their actions.  I am not responsible for solving everyone's problems.  I am not even responsible for figuring out what those problems might or might not be (i.e., I am not to be a busybody).

I am responsible to live my life, to follow Him, and to do as He says, or, as Pastor Todd at Crossroads says, to be FAT: faithful, available, and teachable.

The inimitable Pastor Todd

May I be faithful, available, and teachable in year five as I follow Him, and may Amos and I encourage and challenge others by our example "in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (I Timothy 4:12)

2014: OKC
2015: A year later
2016: Two years later
2017: Three years later